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The Greatest Generation is starting to fade fast. The last living link to the wartime RAF 617 Squadron, who was a pilot, that carried one of Britain’s most spectacular World War II military actions, the Dambusters Raid on Germany, has passed away at the age of 100.
The Mirror reported:
The last wartime member of the famous Dambusters Squadron has died aged 100.
Lawrence Goodman – who held a pilot’s licence until the age of 93 – played a major role in as many as 30 missions against key Nazi targets.
He joined the RAF in 1942 and moved to the celebrated 617 Squadron in 1944.
Goodman helped bomb the Arnsberg Viaduct and Hitler’s Eagles Nest base at Berchtesgaden.
He joined a year after Operation Chastise of May 16-17, 1943, in which Wg Cdr Guy Gibson led 617 Squadron on an audacious Lancaster bomber raid to destroy three dams in the Ruhr valley using Barnes Wallis’s bouncing bombs.
Although Mr Goodman was not part of the actual Dambusters raid he served honourably in the Squadron and did his bit to fight back against the monster that had devoured most of Europe.
May his memory be for a blessing.
He was the last surviving wartime pilot of 617 squadron. Johnnie Johnson still survives who was a bombaimer on one of the Dam busting Lancasters.
OK will correct thank you.
Johhnie Johnson died in 2001 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnnie_Johnson_(RAF_officer) But I have corrected the issue of Mr Goodman’s pilot status.
There is (was) more than one Johnny Johnson.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Johnson_(RAF_officer)
Aha thanks for that. Much appreciated.